


Rabbit Hole

by aziraphales_books



Category: Original Work
Genre: OC, Old West, Original Character - Freeform, West - Freeform, Western, cowboy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27104803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aziraphales_books/pseuds/aziraphales_books
Summary: Two marshals walk into a town on the eve of battle. A warning from a pretty girl and a promise. Is what is is, he says, no one should lose a friend that way.





	Rabbit Hole

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story set in the late 1800s, featuring characters of my own creation for a western RP on discord!

"I'm telling you, Shine, there's absolutely nothing left!" There was a hearty laugh from a tall Asian gentleman as he nudged his friend away from his saddlebags. Nemo snorted and stamped a white-frocked hoof and tossed his head.   
Theodore rolled his eyes at his friend. 

"I don't believe you, Jiro. Now lemme' have a look alright?" Theodore, a stout and stocky man with short brown hair, pushed past Shojiro who huffed indignantly. 

"Use my name, you fool. We ain't under a contract right now." Shojiro scolded, but it was all in jest- mostly. The man didn't mind it in the least coming from Theo. "And I'm telling you! You drank the last of the bourbon. Not I, you drunken idiot. I don't drink, dumbass." Shojiro watched his friend rummage through his saddlebags and chuckled. 

"Come, we need to get to the hotel before it gets too dark, Theo. I'll buy us another bottle, alright?" Shojiro offered his friend an affectionate smile and took him by the shoulder to steer him back towards the saloon and hotel. 

Theo simply staggered on under the promise of more liquor and Shojiro watched his friend go, heaving a heavy sigh as he ran his hands over his face as he stood there, watching the lawman go stumbling along. 

"Silly fool…" With that, the man straightened his fine waistcoat and strode after Theodore, his vaquero spurs jangling as he walked.   
The drunken lawman nearly took a spill as he tripped over the steps to the hotel, but Shojiro quickly hooked an arm beneath his friend, and held him up. 

"Easy there, partner." Shojiro muttered and helped him along into the hotel. The bottle was bought and the pair staggered up into the hotel room they would share for the next week or so. 

Theo was laying on his bed, cradling the bottle like his own newborn babe, muttering softly all the while. Shojiro was laying out on the other bed, his hands clasped behind his head as he stared at the ceiling, brow furrowed as he was deep in thought. 

The man hadn't touched a drop, and he never would. He had seen what alcohol did to a man, and truth be told...it frightened him. He didn't want to lose himself as Theodore did each night. 

Restless and unable to lull himself to sleep, Shojiro quickly got up to leave the room, casting one more glance back at his friend before he quickly made his way out into the streets.

While Shojiro did not drink, it did not mean that he didn't partake in a little comfort now and again. 

The man was just about to slip into the cathouse, when he bumped into a woman. 

She was beautiful, in the dim light cast from the window. Shojiro was captivated, in the very way she moved.   
Her beautiful red hair cascaded over her shoulders and her green eyes sparkled in the soft light. She smiled at the man, but there was something wrong.   
She was disheveled and she looked half-crazed. 

"You need to leave, mister." She said. God. Even her voice was distracting. 

Upon closer inspection, Shojiro noticed her sleeves and the front of her dress was spotted with blood. Too much blood, in fact. 

Before Shojiro could determine whether it was the woman's or not, she grabbed his hands between hers.

"I need to go? Why is that, miss...are you-are you hurt?"

The woman glanced over her shoulder fearfully. 

"There is going to be a shootout tomorrow. Two gangs. They're planning to rob the bank here."   
"Both gangs??" Shojiro's frown only deepened and the Irishwoman nodded.  
"Yessir. Montgomery and Robicheaux. Listen...you need to find Riley for me. Riley O'Hare.. Tell him Deirdre's sorry. That she loves him, that his sister's sorry…" Deirdre offered Shojiro a smile.

"He wears the ugliest yellow suit, dearie. He's just a little Irish bumpkin. Please, for me, tell him that I'm sorry for not being there with him. Tell him not to cry for me…"   
Deirdre's frantic words faded and she took Shojiro's hand.   
"Promise me you'll do that."

Shojiro paused, before he nodded. "Of course, but ma'am… but..would you mind coming with me-?"  
"No! No. I can't. I have to go. I'm sorry, mister. " Deirdre pulled away from the man. 

"Remember. Riley O'Hare. Flashy little bastard." The woman hauled herself up into the saddle of a beautiful buckskin paint, that snorted and tossed it's head as she turned it away from Shojiro.   
"And you need to leave too. They're gonna tear the bleedin' town apart." She sighed, taking a moment to look the man over. 

"D'ye have a name? I'm Deirdre." She glanced over her shoulder again but then back to him.   
"Shojiro. Masatake Shojiro."   
"Well... it's a pleasure, Shojiro...be safe. Find my brother. God be wi'you…" she gave a short cry and kicked her horse, it churned the dirt as it leapt forward. 

In a few short seconds, the beautiful woman was gone from Shojiro's life. A warning and a request were all she left. 

The man stuffed his hands in his pockets and strode back into the hotel. To hell with the cathouse. 

Shojiro moved to his partner, who was sprawled out over the bed, and snoring loudly.   
He roughly turned the man over and slapped his face. 

"Hey! Hey! Shiny, wake up…"

There was no response and Shojiro heaved a sigh. 

Perhaps they ought to wait til tomorrow. Surely, they wouldn't come til evening…

It would give Shojiro a chance to sober up his poor idiot friend. 

The next day came and went with Shojiro alerting the sheriff, and spending the rest of the day quietly assisting his partner in all the joyous things that came from a night of hard drinking. It was late afternoon when Shine finally woke from his alcohol induced slumber. 

Theodore squinted up at Shojiro before vomiting into a wastebasket. 

"An Irish woman told you what?" He groaned softly and rested his head on the wall, while Shojiro slowly lowered himself beside his friend and rubbed his back supportively. 

"I told you, you dumbass." The man said with a heavy sigh. "Two gangs are going to rob the bank. I don't know how she knows this, but she was adamant, Shiny." Shojiro said. "It's supposed to happen tonight. It's going to get ugly, so we gotta get ready, alright? Sober up as much as you can and I'll get the long rifles." He patted his friend's back and got up again. 

"Can you imagine how rich we'll be if we get Vincent Robicheaux and Cormac Montgomery in one fell swoop?" Shojiro smiled brightly at his friend who looked about as cognizant as a brick.   
"Uh huh…" Theodore groaned and stuffed his head back into the wastebasket.   
Shojiro chuckled and slipped out of the room, moving quickly as he went down to the stables where they had boarded their horses. 

Nemo whickered happily as he saw his master, and Theodore's horse, Tobias flicked his ears forward. Shojiro always had mints and sugar from him.   
Shojiro set to tacking the pair up as quickly as he could and led them out to hitch in front of the hotel. 

They had the long rifles on their saddles and bullets enough for each. "Get ready to run tonight boys…" Shojiro murmured and patted their necks affectionately. "We've got a long night ahead."

Shojiro slung the rifles over his shoulders and made his way back into the hotel to retrieve his friend.   
"Hey, Rasmus!" He called to the hotel clerk who jumped a mile.   
"Y-yessir?"   
"Bring up some coffee will you? I'd appreciate it." Shojiro insisted. "Oh, and fill a tub with cold water." He tossed the man a few dollars and offered a slight smile. 

"Of course, Marshal." The man said and quickly hopped up to scurry back for the coffee and shout at a maid to fill the tub. 

Theodore was largely unchanged from when Shojiro had left him. This frustrated the man. 

"You silly fool…" Shojiro sighed and patted his friend's shoulder. "Come on with you…" 

He slung his partner's arm over his shoulders and helped walk him down, taking the pot from the clerk as he met them at the top of the stairs. 

"Much obliged…" Shojiro muttered and half carried his friend down to the baths. "Drink this, Shiny…" the man muttered and sat him down on the edge of the tub, one arm firmly around his waist.  
Theo obliged by spilling coffee over his vest front. 

"Jesus, Shiny…" Shojiro sounded dismayed. Theo managed to get the coffee into him enough to satisfy his partner who took the pot away.

"Sorry, friend." Shojiro chuckled and shoved his friend back into the tub.

After quite a lot of shouting and spluttering and coughing, Theodore Shine was finally cognizant enough to aim and shoot a gun. 

"You really believe this crazy woman huh?" The man muttered as he dried himself off and took the fresh clothes that Shojiro offered him. 

"I do. Yes. So, get dressed and let's find places to set up alright? We need to cover two sides of the bank. I already informed the sheriff."

Shojiro nodded and looked his friend over before turning to leave. 

"This could be it, Shiny. Our big break! We gotta pull this off." Shojiro glanced back and offered a grin. 

Theodore nodded. "We will. I promise, Johnny." 

"Your rifle's in the room. See you on the other side, Shiny." Shojiro nodded before quickly taking his leave to find a place to set up.

Shojiro was up in the second story window of the hotel, overlooking the street with a clear shot of the bank. He peered through the scope out in either direction of town. 

It was all quiet. 

Sighing heavily, the man glanced about to find his friend. There, on the roof of the saloon across from him. 

There was Theo; he could see the faint movement up there. 

The sheriff on another. 

There was the sound of hooves as a band of horses came thundering over the desert. A half dozen men and women, armed to the teeth. Their leader on a bay stallion. They moved away to the back of town where they should have been unseen and unheard. 

Shojiro nodded. 

It was time. 

Vincent led his men along. They never made it to the bank; the man had stopped, something catching his attention across the way. 

Another half dozen outlaws crept from the shadows and tensions immediately skyrocketed. 

Faster than anyone could blink, there was the crack of gunfire. 

All hell broke loose. 

Shojiro cursed and took aim down the sights and pulled the trigger. 

He injured the biggest man who cried out and stumbled behind something for cover. 

The outlaws scattered like rats, confused and terrified and full of hatred for the other. 

The rest of the gunfight went on in a blur of dust and screams. 

It didn't last more than ten minutes; but they were the longest ten minutes of Shojiro's life. 

He slipped out of the hotel once the gunfire became far too concentrated on him and out into the front lobby. His shoulder was bleeding profusely but the adrenaline that rushed through his veins was keeping him on his feet. 

Rasmus, the clerk lay dead in the front room, draped over a maid, who was terrified and crying- but alive. 

Shojiro quickly reloaded his rifle and looked about down the street at the retreating forms of the outlaws. 

The dust soon died down. The horses quieted. 

Three outlaws lay dead now in the street. 

Two from Cormac's gang, Shojiro reckoned, and one Robicheaux. The lawmen joined him once the outlaws were well on their way out. 

Spinning on his heel, his breath caught in his throat. Tobias was dead, his head held up by his reins. Nemo was tugging at his lead, snorting frantically. 

"Goddammit, Shiny. I'm sorry about that...I know you loved that animal…"

It was then that Shojiro realised, with a chill running up his spine that Shine was nowhere to be seen. 

"Shine?! Mr. Shine!?" His gaze crept up to the balcony where he'd last seen his friend. 

The man was draped over the railing. 

"Theodore, no!" Shojiro cried and took off to get to him.   
Theodore was not yet dead when Shojiro made it to his side. He was gasping with pain, blood trickling down his belly. 

Shojiro quickly gathered his friend in his arms and pressed a hand to the wound as tightly as he could.   
"Shiny, Shiny hey? It's okay." Shojiro's voice was shaky and frightened.   
Theodore forced himself to focus on his friend. "Why-why're you so...scared huh? I'm okay…" he chuckled, buy the action only brought blood burbling up.   
"Shhh, it's okay. Don't talk." Shojiro pressed his forehead to Theo's.   
"You...get em' Shojiro. Kill every last one, you hear?" Theodore took Shojiro's hand in his, desperate for some comfort.   
"Theo, I-I...I can't."  
"Course' you can. It's what we came out h-here to do…" Theo said weakly. "For me, Shojiro. For old Shiny." He mumbled, voice growing weaker by the second.   
Shojiro held Shine close until the man's grip on his hand loosened and his head looked back. He was gone. 

Eyes wide and full of tears, Shojiro finally allowed himself to cry. 

He had not cried so hard over even his father. He lost the first friend he'd ever had and it was his own damn fault. 

Shojiro cried until he could cry no more and he was simply numb.   
The man closed Theo's eyes and plucked him up. 

The sheriff stared at the corpse Shojiro brought him. 

"See to it that he gets a coffin. Send him home to Presidio, Texas. To his wife Eleanor Shine and his brother Goodnight Devereaux." Shojiro said softly and the sheriff nodded. 

"Of course, son...but wouldn't you accompany it?"  
Shojiro frowned, his eyes dark and dazed. 

"No., no...I’m afraid that I...have unfinished business. Thank you sir…"  
"Son, your shoulder-"  
"I'm aware, Sheriff. Thank you." He murmured and took a deep breath. He moved slowly, but he wrapped his arm, and returned to the horses.   
He cut Tobias' saddlebags and slung them over his own horse's rump before hauling himself up into the saddle. 

Nemo snorted and Shojiro kicked him into a gallop right out of town. Past the undertaker who was plucking up the corpses, and the children who stared. 

He had a score to settle.


End file.
